Prognosis Resources

Hypothyroidism is a common endocrine condition characterised by an underactive thyroid gland, resulting in a deficiency of thyroid hormones. It presents with variable symptoms, which can range from mild such as fatigue and dry skin, to more severe, such as shortness of breath. As it shares fairly wide ranging symptoms with many other common conditions, such as depression, menopause, etc, it can sometimes be missed. If left untreated, the outcome can be fatal. The condition is often diagnosed and treated in the primary care setting, and this article gives nurses and nonmedical prescribers an overview of the disease with the aim of helping them recognise and treat this condition, so as to improve outcomes and quality of life.

Anaemia is a common condition occurring worldwide. There are several different forms of anaemia, with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) being two of the most prevalent types. Both have similar symptoms but are associated with different causes. Differentiating between the two types and confirming the diagnosis can be a difficult process. This article gives an insight into these two diseases, providing nurses and nonmedical prescribers with an understanding of assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

Abnormal bleeding of any type is a cause of concern for women affected and is a frequent presentation in primary care. This is the second piece in a two-part series, the first part discussed amenorrhoea and oligomenorrhoea, while this article looks at dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia. It gives an overview of signs and symptoms, risk factors, treatment and complications, with the purpose of giving nurses and non-medical prescribers more confidence in advising women who approach them for advice, so that earlier diagnosis and treatment can be possible to improve outcomes and quality of life.

This article looks at amenorrhoea and oligomenorrhoea, both of which can be a cause of concern for those women affected. Such issues can be difficult for clinicians to diagnose and treat, because of variations in bleeding patterns, complicated history in some patients, and associated problems. Signs and symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, and complications are covered here, in the hope that general practice nurses (GPNs) and non-medical prescribers will feel more confident in recognising concerns and can then get earlier investigations and treatment, thus reducing the risk of complications and improving quality of life for women affected.